SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Homes turned into fortified structures thanks to flooding, forcing families to try and pump out yards, is what still confronts mother of a 1- and 4-year-old Alexis Chevalier, and her neighbors.

“We’re a little bit better off than a lot that are in there, but there’s a lot of cleanup, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done for all of us,” Chevalier said.

She’s lived at the Arbor Mobile Home Park in Acampo for 10 years and had to evacuate after the area saw torrential rains early Monday morning. Chevalier and her neighbors are yet to be allowed back to their homes, many of which remain flooded.

“My son keeps asking: We want to go home. He doesn’t understand we can’t go home. There’s water. We can’t go home right now. So we took a few toys to try to make him feel like he’s at home,” Chevalier said.

Acampo is in San Joaquin County, which late Wednesday was added to the list of counties under the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, meaning affected residents will be able to apply for federal assistance. Something Chevalier said many will need.

“A lot of people’s cars are gone, waters in some people’s houses. Some people are being told by their insurance [companies], you didn’t have flood, so sorry we’re not going to help you.”

Thankfully, Chevalier and others in Acampo won’t have to go far to find federal aid. This FEMA disaster recovery center just up the road in Galt is one of several centers being set up around the state. Patrick Boland has been with FEMA for 6 years and lives in North Carolina. He said the center will be open seven days a week at least until the end of the month to help affected residents.

“We really want to encourage people to come in here and visit us, meet with our individual assistant staff, and find out their eligibility for assistance,” Boland said. “Eligibility is just if you have uninsured losses.”

Chevalier said the help will be welcomed. She’s able to stay with family but said others aren’t so lucky.

“We just left a hotel,” she said. “We’re actually going to be staying in a travel trailer out at my mom’s house for the moment.”

Chevalier said the real relief will come when her kids and her neighbors will be able to sleep in their own beds.